The lack of distractions from a large domestic market and a close proximity of research centers are just two advantages for the flourishing Swiss biotech sector, which enjoyed a bumper year in 2021, says its industry association. 

Nektar is hoping the combination of bempegaldesleukin and Opdivo could have better chances in kidney and bladder cancers, but analysts aren’t sure and see other IL-2 therapeutics as having better prospects.

Private Company Edition: Omega Funds closed its seventh venture capital fund, far exceeding its $500m goal. Also, Anaveon raised a CHF110m ($119.8m) series B round, Ambys brought its series A total to $107m with $47m in additional investment and Mythic launched with a $103m series B round.

Anaveon of Switzerland plans to take the clinical road less travelled with its novel interleukin-2 agonist, ANV419, its CEO told Scrip as the firm launched a Phase I/II study for its lead asset.